Vancouver Winter Olympics trump Governance

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfYuxgAroP4&NR=1[/youtube]

Since 2006 Canada has been governed by Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper. Don't, for a second, think a majority of Canadians voted for him. Thanks to a scary combination of first past the post, multiparty democracy, and a parliamentary system (Head of Government isn't decided via popular vote. Rather, the leader of pary with the most seats in the House of Commons becomes Head of Government), by merely obtaining a thirty percent plurality plurality of the vote, he's the leader.



And he's not secure. With most of the electorate voting for another party, he's had to prorogue (suspend) parliament to prevent an ousting from power. While he came to power in 2006 on a campaign to clean up the government after the centre-right Liberal Party impoded in scandal, he's yet to follow through. Canada's national police force (The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP for short) have raided the Conservative Party Headquarters, controling Harper's stifled his cabinent and provoked the media, Conservative Party logos have been placed on stimulus cheques, and a scandal over complacency in the upper command of Canada's forces in torture has erupted.



The opposition parties - while generally feckless (especially the Liberals) - have (softly) questioned Harper on this. Seeing his opportunity for a photo op in the winter olympics ruined, Harper has suspended (prorogued) Parliament again.

If you see any photo ops of Harper in Olympic coverage, I sure hope this shall tarnish it.

I am sure everyone here at WP is interested in Canadian political nonsense, its so bloody boring, the way I see it the people in Canada are so bloody lazy and complacent they deserve getting what ever party they didn't bother voting against. I have always voted but here in Alberta its a wasted vote because I am a Liberal living in a sea of boneheaded redneck ultra right-wingers.
I think the people who complain the loudest never damn well voted, and that they should get off their asses and try to vote in the next election

1) A rightwing American ultra-nationalist on this forum whined at me for daring to discuss US politics while not a citizen of the United States. Therefore, I've tried to balance my complaints about ineffectual US progressives with posts about Harper's unchallenged steamrolling of the Canadian Parliament.

2) While I shalln't be eligible to vote until a few months, I've donated prodigious amounts to my party of choice (whatever a flawed vessel it is). I regard anti-politics and apathy as positively self-destructive.

3) Alberta has one of the lowest rates of voter turn out. Just mobilize the non-voters (easier said than done) and some much needed dynamism will be interjected in your provincial politics.

4) At least Canadian politics isn't trival to the extent American politics is. You'll never see lengthy analyses of flag pins or gutter balls in the Canadian news (at least not yet).

Its so frustrating living here, I was raised to believe that voting is our duty as citizens,
but seeing the poor turnouts here really make me think whats the use of even trying,
the last federal election was a joke, I couldn't bring myself to vote Liberal and so the
Greens got my vote, what really worries me is this Wildrose Alliance, they are nothing
but a bunch of nazi's and rednecks who want to separate from the rest of the country.

The sum total of apathetic individuals leads to conservative rule. Applies to the Progressive Conservative Party in Alberta and it applies to the election of Sam Katz in the formerly fine city of Winnipeg.

Never abstain from voting. Or else the Wildrose Alliance might actually get a seat.